


Through His Eyes

by HawkeyeRules



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Behavior, Character Study, F/M, Finnick needs a hug, Gen, Weddings, if i forgot a tag, let me know, quote from book
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24867352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HawkeyeRules/pseuds/HawkeyeRules
Summary: “It's as if I'm Finnick, watching images of my life flash by. The mast of a boat, a silver parachute, Mags laughing, a pink sky, Beetee's trident, Annie in her wedding dress, waves breaking over rocks. Then its over.”Just a character study developing each section of this quote.
Relationships: Annie Cresta/Finnick Odair, Katniss Everdeen & Finnick Odair, Mags & Finnick Odair
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Through His Eyes

Mast of a boat

The boy pulled on the ropes, tightening the sail. His father’s rough hands guided his motions, but he pretended that it was all him. 

When the ropes were taut, he stepped back with a smile on his face. The sun peeked around the mast, bathing his father’s face in golden light.

“You did great, Finn,” his father said.

“Thanks, Papa,” the boy responded.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” His father reached behind him and pulled something out. It was long, wrapped in burlap cloth. “For your tenth birthday. You’re almost a man now.”

He took the gift and turned it over in his hands, heart racing. He recognized the shape, the feel, the heft, but it was almost too much for him to wish for. 

“Well, are you going to unwrap it or are you going to wait till I die?” his father joked.

With that jibe, he eagerly pulled the burlap off, revealing a shining trident. He picked it up and thrust it into the air before giving it a few experimental swings. 

“Do you like it?” his father asked.

“I love it!” he exclaimed. “It’s perfect!”

“Use it wisely, Finn. This is a tool, not a weapon. Don’t ever turn it on anyone.”

“I won’t, Papa. I promise.”

\--------------------------------------------

Silver parachute 

A soft ringing drew his attention to the sky. He looked up to see a silver parachute floating down, something hanging from it. 

As the parachute got closer, he could see the object hanging from it was a trident. A very nice trident.

It was for him. It had to be. What other tribute used a trident like he did?

He grabbed it as soon as it came within reach and ripped the parachute from it. Hefting it the same way he did with every weapon he had found, he discovered it was perfectly balanced. The pronged end was sharper than the sword he had been using and was made of three well-placed points. 

It was a beautiful weapon.

There was a note attached to it. When he picked it up, he struggled to read it for a moment, since it was written in a flowing script.

Win, Finnick Odair. 

He frowned and lifted the trident. A cannon went off in the distance. 

“I’m coming home, Mags,” he whispered. 

\--------------------------------------------

Mags laughing

He walked into the village. Everything looked just as he had left it all those days ago, but somehow it looked different now. Maybe it was because he had grown up, he had done things he had never thought he could, he had killed. Or maybe it was just that things never stayed the same forever. He knew he hadn’t. 

He couldn’t go back to his house, couldn’t face his family. They had all seen what he had done. It was to survive, yes, but he couldn’t look his mother in the face, couldn’t laugh with his younger siblings. He couldn’t let Snow use them against him again.

So instead he walked down to the ocean and knocked on a small door set in a small hut. 

“Mags?” he called. “It’s me, Finnick.”

The door swung open and there Mags was, laughing and hugging him and pulling him inside.

She pointed at a stool and Finnick sat. Mags handed him a steaming bowl of soup and a spoon, and he gratefully started eating.

“This is good, Mags,” he said with a laugh. “They don’t make food like this in the Capitol.”

Her smile faded and she stared deep into his eyes, a concerned frown on her face as she placed a hand on his arm.

“I’m fine, Mags.” Finnick set the bowl down and looked at the rough floor under his feet, his hands twisting around each other.

The pressure from Mags’ small hand grew and he finally met her gaze. Her smile was sad now, tears filling her eyes.

“I’m here,” Finnick told her, voice stronger than he felt. “I’m here to stay.”

\-------------------------------------------- 

A pink sky

Finnick looked at himself in the mirror and flashed his brightest grin. Then, he walked out of his house and into the mass of people. 

It was the second Quarter Quell. This year, it was one male victor and one female victor from each district. 

The sky was pink as the victors lined up. Finnick caught Annie’s eye and flashed her a quick smile. He could see her trembling from across the stage and had to subdue the impulse to run over and wrap her in a big hug. 

They started with the male victors. A name was drawn. The crowd waited with baited breath.

“Finnick Odair!” 

He shook his head, but kept his famous smile on his face. Of course it was him. The Capital wanted its darling boy to win again. 

Or lose.

Then it was the female victors’ turn. The name was drawn. The silence was unbearable. 

“Annie Cresta!”

Annie screamed, backing up, away from everyone else. The look on her face was pure and utter terror, and Finnick moved towards her. He stopped, however, when Mags stepped forward, hand raised, other hand pointing to herself. 

Finnick felt his heart break all over again. Of course, she would volunteer. She had seen firsthand what the Games had done to Annie. It would kill her if she went back. But Finnick didn’t want to lose Mags either. She was his mentor and the closest thing to family he had. 

Annie’s sobs were cut off as they were led away from the crowds and Finnick felt like he was leaving his heart behind.

“Why’d you do that, Mags?” he asked, though he knew the answer.

She pointed to the doors, then to his heart.

For Annie.

“Thank you,” he whispered. Then, “Let’s win this, shall we?”

\-------------------------------------------- 

Beetee’s trident

He never expected to be part of a rebellion. He never expected to be doing anything more than training the next batch of tributes and watching them die in the Games. But, as Finnick knew from experience, life never quite lined up with what you wanted to do. 

They were going to take over the Capitol—that was the endgame—but to get there, they had to go through the other districts. District 3 and 2, to be precise. The rest had already rebelled, with the Mockingjay as their symbol.

She was going to lead them. At least that’s what everyone thought. Finnick had his doubts. She was only human, broken and scarred like the rest of them. 

But for all his doubts, he wasn’t going to complain. He had seen hidden strength in Katniss and if she was going to take down Snow, he wasn’t going to stand in her way. 

Beetee called him down to his workshop, the inventor sounding excited. 

“What is it?” Finnick asked.

“Ah, Finnick, glad you came,” Beetee said, taking off his glasses and polishing them. “I have something I made for you. You don’t have to use it if you don’t want to, but, well, with giving Katniss her new bow and everything . . . well, I thought you would want something new too.”

He led Finnick over to a table full of bits and pieces of things that he couldn’t identify. Lying in the center of the table was a trident. It looked like every other trident Finnick had seen, but the fact that Beetee made it told him there was more to it. 

“I took the liberty of making you another trident based after the one you had,” Beetee said, picking up a metal cuff and handing it to Finnick. “Throw it.”

He picked the trident up and threw it across the room, impressed with the balance of the weapon. It embedded itself in the opposite wall and stuck there, quivering.

“Very, um, impressive,” Beetee said. “Now, press that button on your cuff and the trident should come back to you.”

He did as the inventor suggested, though he wasn’t sure what he thought of a weapon flying back at him. 

The trident jerked out of the wall and flew towards him. Finnick reached out and caught it with one hand, surprised when the handle smacked into his palm. 

“Wow,” he breathed. “That’s amazing.”

Beetee smiled. “I’m just glad it worked.” 

After a few adjustments—mostly making sure the cuff fit him—Finnick left Beetee. He wandered through the compound, watching the ones around him and passing away the time till he was needed. 

\-------------------------------------------- 

Annie in her wedding dress

He couldn’t breathe. His heart was pounding and his hands were sweaty. 

Finnick was terrified. After all he had been through, all he had survived, this was the hardest thing he had ever done. 

She wanted him. It was a fact that kept flying through his mind. After all he had done, all he had been through, she wanted him. All of him. His flaws, his mistakes, his darkened past, everything he had done and tried to forget. She wasn’t afraid of all that and still wanted him. 

The music started to play and Finnick felt his heart stop in his chest when he saw Annie walking towards him. She looked beautiful and he blinked, tears threatening to spill out. 

He didn’t remember much of the ceremony other than Annie and he were both smiling and she was giggling and he felt like his heart would burst with happiness. 

They danced and though they were spinning in circles, it felt to Finnick that the world had stopped moving. All he could focus on was Annie’s smiling face. 

He couldn’t let go of her hand. He doubted he would ever find the strength to let her go. She seemed to feel the same way and so they passed the best day of their lives together, smiling, soaking in the joy the other felt. 

Everything in that moment was perfect. Finnick didn’t want anything to change. 

\-------------------------------------------- 

Waves breaking over rocks 

“I miss the water,” Annie whispered.

They were sitting together in their room, Finnick tying a length of rope over and over again and Annie running a hand through her hair. 

“I miss it too,” Finnick replied, looking up from the rope.

“I miss the waves,” Annie whispered.

“I miss the smell of the salt.”

“The waves breaking over the rocks outside the village.”

“The sun in your hair,” Finnick smirked.

Annie giggled. “You swimming in the water.”

“The smile on your face when I helped you catch your first fish.”

“I caught it!” Annie protested, a smile on her face. “You just stood there!”

“No, I remember doing everything.” Now Finnick was having a hard time keeping a grin off his face. 

Annie playfully swatted his shoulder. “Not true.”

“You’re right,” Finnick relented. “It was all you.”

They grew quiet.

“I don’t want you to leave,” Annie said softly.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” Finnick said, his smile fading. “I won’t leave you.”

“Promise?”

“Annie” –Finnick took her hands in his and looked into her eyes— “You know I can’t promise that. What we’re doing is very dangerous.”

“But you’ll be careful,” she said.

“Course I will. I have someone to come home to, don’t I?”

\-------------------------------------------- 

Then it’s over

They were coming from all over now. Teeth and sewer water flashed across his vision, his breath coming in sharp gasps. 

Gunshots echoed in the enclosed space, loud enough to be heard over the screams and snarls of the creatures. They were fighting back, but it wouldn’t be enough. The monsters kept coming. 

“Katniss!” he shouted, shoving his trident through the chest of one of the creatures. 

She scrambled back, eyes wide with fear. He yanked his trident back out and their terrified eyes met. 

Katniss ran for the ladder, him following. 

A creature lept for her, but Finnick threw his trident and the creature vanished into the swirling water. Something hard and slimy crashed into his back and he fell backwards. 

The water was green and foamy and he got to his feet in an instant, rancid water dripping down his face. His knife was quickly pulled out and he slashed at the monster. Missed. It jumped on him, forcing him back under. He quickly got on top, stabbing it frantically. 

Can’t stop. Have to keep fighting. Get to that ladder. Get to Annie. 

He was so close. Hand wrapped around cold, wet metal. He pulled himself up, started climbing. 

Then he was falling, landing hard on his back, water filling his vision. The creatures were all around him now, biting and tearing. He couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe. The pain was overwhelming. 

A cry tore its way out of his throat, quickly cut off by water. Finnick choked, tried to spit it out. A claw raked across his face, blood mixing into the green water. 

“Katniss!” he screamed, a plea for her to help him. 

Something hit the water next to him, there was a deafening blast, then it was over.


End file.
